Articles for tag: Elders

September 21, 2018

Jim Estep

Change

E2: Effective Elders Blog Editor’s Note: Each Friday we publish a new blog post from our partners in ministry, E2: Effective Elders. We publish it here simultaneous to E2’s posting on their site. The leaders of E2 write an article for our print and online magazine every month as well. Those articles are full of wisdom and practical help for elders. Please check them out! _____ By Jim Estep Putting it simply: Change is hard. We try to change our diet, exercise more, adapt to new technology, change our routines . . . but it’s hard to take the risk of

September 19, 2018

David Roadcup

‘Feed My Sheep’

By David Roadcup  It was probably one of the most impactful moments of Peter’s life. John 21 tells the story. After Jesus’ resurrection, while the disciples are fishing from a boat, Jesus appears on the beach, starts a fire, and fixes breakfast for them. After another fish-producing miracle, Jesus calls the disciples in for breakfast. After they eat, Jesus engages Peter in a powerful discussion. Three times, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. Three times, Peter emphatically states that he does. Three times, Jesus exhorts Peter to fulfill a specific task. Jesus concludes round one of this exchange by

September 15, 2018

Christian Standard

Kansas Church Heads in New Direction

LEBANON, KAN.—Compass, a Christian church in Lebanon, Kansas, has changed its name to The Second Independent Christian Church of Lebanon. (“First Christian Church” was already being used.)  The name change came after lengthy consideration by a “new” group of elders who rotated back onto the board after 15 years. “The novelty just wore off,” explained elder Gerald Girrard. “And anyway, many of our members got tired of trying to explain the name to our non-Christian friends.” “I was wearing my Compass T-shirt one day in Walmart,” said Girrard, “and a guy I’d never met before asked me where the Compass

September 14, 2018

Ken Idleman

Legacy

E2: Effective Elders Blog Editor’s Note: Each Friday we publish a new blog post from our partners in ministry, E2: Effective Elders. We publish it here simultaneous to E2’s posting on their site. The leaders of E2 write an article for our print and online magazine every month as well. Those articles are full of wisdom and practical help for elders. Please check them out! _____ By Ken Idleman My father lived a very full life of 94 years. He started out as the youngest of four boys—not an enviable place in the “pecking order.” He grew up in a two-bedroom,

August 24, 2018

Christian Standard

Faith vs. Sight

E2: Effective Elders Blog Editor’s Note: Each Friday we will publish a new blog post from our partners in ministry, E2: Effective Elders. This is our second installment. We are publishing it here simultaneous to E2’s posting on their site. The leaders of E2 write an article for our print and online magazine every month as well. Those articles are full of wisdom and practical help for elders. Please check them out! _____ By Larry Carter I often tell people that Great Lakes Christian College is “a faith-based organization.” We believe that we exist because of God’s faith in us and

August 15, 2018

Christian Standard

Christian Standard Web-Only Interview: Previewing ‘What’s Next’ with Gary Johnson (Plus News Briefs)

Great leaders constantly ask themselves a two-word question: “What’s next?” That’s the name of a new event presented by e2: effective elders and hosted by the Center for Church Leadership at Cincinnati Christian University on Saturday, September 8. The event will focus on helping leaders look into the future, as far ahead as they can, and lead God’s people ahead on their journey. Gary Johnson, along with David Roadcup and Jim Estep, will present at the all-day event. We asked Johnson three questions about what elders will learn at the event. QUESTION: As part of the “Next Step” seminar, you’re

June 20, 2018

Christian Standard

Five Best Practices for Restoration Movement Elders and Leaders

By Jeff Faull “Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug” (Isaiah 51:1, New American Standard Bible). The Old Testament prophet Isaiah was not writing about church leadership or the Restoration Movement, but his words could easily be appropriated for Restoration church leaders. It is both refreshing and profitable for us to “look to our quarry” and gratefully consider the noble and admirable beginnings, underpinnings, and the future of our Restoration heritage. But could we start with an admission? Some inherent pitfalls come with our simple plea and its accompanying

June 9, 2018

David Roadcup

Elders Leading through Prayer

By David Roadcup  An elder’s job description includes numerous responsibilities. Teaching, managing, leading a small group, attending meetings, listening, and making decisions fill an elder’s time. Two of the most important responsibilities an elder can fulfill are in modeling a life of prayer and leading his church in a powerful, impacting, and continuing prayer experience. Prayer is the greatest untapped source of power in the life of the church today. God calls his leaders to prayer. It is important that the church leadership team—paid staff and elders—be in constant contact with our Father. In warfare, every military battlefield commander knows

April 23, 2018

Mark Scott

Lesson for April 29, 2018: Blessing, Glory, Honor Forever (Revelation 5:6-14)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 4 (weeks 17–20; April 29—May 20, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  In this month of lessons, we have learned that God is “acknowledged” by the resurrection of Jesus (first two lessons), by the obedience of his followers (lesson three), and by heavenly worship (lessons four and five). Everything else pales in comparison to worship. It is a sin to make little

April 4, 2018

Gary L. Johnson

An Every-Day Resurrection Day Church

By Gary L. Johnson Another Easter weekend has come and gone. Packed worship services were exciting. Music and preaching stirred our celebration of Jesus raised from the dead. And we reveled as we witnessed people being baptized into Christ. It’s no wonder Resurrection Sunday is considered the pinnacle weekend of the year for Christians. What if we could experience Easter weekend every weekend? It seems the first-century church in Jerusalem had a Resurrection Sunday experience not only on the Lord’s Day, but every day, as “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Can

November 10, 2017

Christian Standard

Elders Champion Missions 

By David Roadcup   An effective elder-shepherd team connects to the missions initiative of the congregation. Elders should be the greatest proponents for mission service in the body of Christ. By following Jesus” marching orders, we can facilitate and support the missions outreach of our churches in the most effective way possible. Good elder teams are involved in missions!   In Acts 20:17-38, Paul, who is on his way to Jerusalem, arrives by ship at Miletus and calls for the Ephesian church elders to join him there. (Paul had planted and nurtured the Ephesian church.) When the elders arrive, Paul involves them

October 10, 2017

Christian Standard

Reorientations for Rural Elders

By Jim Estep As a freshman in college, my first preaching ministry was with Elm Fork Christian Church in Nicholasville, Kentucky. When I arrived, 8 people attended the church. Not 18, not 80 . . . 8. Moreover, the church did not have electricity or indoor plumbing. There was literally a two-seater outhouse out back with a sign that read, “Pastor”s Study.” Fortunately for me, I never used that “Pastor”s Study”! The only source of heat in the winter was a makeshift wood-burning stove. Even the hymnals dated back to the early 1900s. Since my tenure at Elm Fork in

September 16, 2017

Christian Standard

The Engine that Powers Our Progress

The Vital Difference Between a Church that Prays and a Praying Church By Derek Dickinson I thought planting a new congregation in Fairbanks, Alaska, was a terrible idea. The winters are brutal. It occasionally hits 50 degrees below zero! In the winter, it”s a place of darkness, with only four hours of sunlight per day. This “terrible idea” wasn”t mine, thankfully, but God”s. I was so opposed to planting a congregation here that I fasted from all solid foods for 30 days on two occasions and prayed that I could plant somewhere else. But God”s answer was clear: I was to be

August 26, 2017

Christian Standard

Lead a Church Worth Imitating!

By Gary L. Johnson I remember the moment as if it happened yesterday. It was December 1966 and I was in the fifth grade. My teacher announced to the class that Walt Disney had died. Little did we know that a dream of Disney had died with him. Disney dreamed of building an “experimental prototype community of tomorrow” in the swampland of central Florida. It would be an ideal urban center””with businesses, schools, city parks, factories, shopping centers, athletic venues, beautiful homes, and even churches. Disney believed urban areas could be purposefully built and developed to serve as models for

May 30, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Your New Chapter””Don”t Be Afraid to Turn the Page

By Mark A. Taylor New parents sometimes feel trapped. Infants need constant attention, and Mom and Dad may grieve the diminished freedom, increased expenses, and unending on-call status that come with this new addition to their family. But after only 18 years or so, that son or daughter, now looking ahead at a life of independence, leaves home. He gets a job, and she establishes a household of her own. And some parents discover a new reason to grieve: without that child who was once such a challenge, now the house seems empty and lonely. Whether pressed by our current

May 16, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

First Family

By Mark A. Taylor Ministry can be hard on a minister”s family life. The demands of the congregation don”t stop when the church office closes. Needs and opportunities to serve abound in the evenings, threatening to take the minister away from conversations with a spouse or attendance at children”s ballgames and concerts. Phone calls can come night and day. And the minister may feel he has no one to talk to about disappointments and difficulties except a spouse, who then becomes overwhelmed with information and worries that cannot be shared with anyone else. We can be encouraged that 70 percent

March 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Basic Training

By Jennifer Johnson A few years ago I wrote a proposal for an online initiative that would provide customizable resources for churches wanting to develop their pastors, worship leaders, campus ministers, church planters, elders, and key volunteers. I suggested an online portal with everything from 101 to seminary-level books, articles, podcasts, and videos, as well as suggested “tracks” with curated lists of resources for specific groups. I referred to research from the Barna Group and Ed Stetzer as well as insights from the leaders of Orchard Group, Stadia, and some of our megachurches to support my argument. It was summarily

August 28, 2016

Christian Standard

Growing Elders to Lead

By Jim Estep The leaders you want won”t sprout overnight, like weeds in a garden. Here”s how to develop strategies to nurture the crop of new leaders you need. The phone call is all too familiar. An elder begins the conversation stating the obvious, “We need new elders! All our elders are getting older, and no one is stepping up to serve.” I listen, perhaps ask about the church and the strengths of the current leadership; but eventually the inescapable question must be asked, “What have you been intentionally doing to bring up the next generation of leaders in your church?”

June 21, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Three Ways Churches Can Address Biblical Skepticism

By Mark A. Taylor Americans are less engaged with the Bible than ever, according to research released by the Barna Group last week. The trend is “toward biblical skepticism,” Barna President David Kinnaman reported. The report shows, for example, that only a third of Americans agree strongly with the statement, “The Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches,” down from 48 percent in 2011. Only 45 percent agree with this statement: “The Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life,” down from 53 percent in 2011. “With each passing year, the

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